Radio C1

 3/12/24

Component 1 - The Radio Industry

L/O: To explore the content and structure of the unit.

Do Now

1. Paper 1 is 1hr 30 minutes long.
2. The two parts of section B are Audiences and Industry
3. Media Language and Representation
4. 1 mark per minute for each question
5. The 'How Far' question is asking you to compare and have a conclusion.

Key Terms

• Public service broadcaster : A radio and television broadcaster that is independent of government financed by public money and is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of tastes.
• Commercial radio: primarily based on the practice of airing radio advertisements and television advertisements for profit
• Community radio: operated, owned and influenced by the communities they serve. They are generally nonprofit and provide a mechanism for enabling individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories and to share experiences 
• Podcast: a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new instalments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.
• DAB radio: Digital Audio Broadcasting, a digital radio service which is broadcast from a UK-wide network of transmitters.
• RAJAR: Radio Joint Audience Research. It is the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the United Kingdom. RAJAR was set up by the BBC and the RadioCentre in 1992 to measure their audiences using the same system.
• License fee: an amount of money that you pay a company or organisation annually to give you permission to use, do or have something.
• Royal charter: a formal document that grants an organisation independent legal status, defines its objectives, and it gives the power to govern itself.
• Remit: this outlines a broadcaster's area of responsibility.
• Convergence: the coming together of previously separate media industries and/or platforms, often the result of an advance in technology

In the UK, radio falls into 3 categories: public service, commercial and community radio.

• BBC RADIO: The BBC is a public service broadcaster that operates several national radio stations (Radio 1) and many local radio stations (Radio Cornwall). Each of these has a distinct identity and targets a specific audience. The BBC is publicly funded by the license fee.
• COMMUNITY RADIO: often non-profit, these tend to cover small areas and serve the interests of a particular social group. E.g Hospital Radio. They can be funded from a variety of sources such as grants, advertising, fundraising etc.
• COMMERCIAL RADIO: these are funded by advertising. The UK has many of these - they are often focused on particular genres of music (classic FM) and are very popular.

1. The BBC NATIONAL stations are: BBC Radio 1,2,3,4 and 5:

• BBC Radio 1 is aimed at a younger audience of 15-29-year-olds, playing popular music across a variety of genres. It is also known for its engaging presenters and lively entertainment shows.

• BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 both target an older audience of 35-54-year-olds but with different programming. BBC Radio 2 is known for its music and entertainment shows, while BBC Radio 3 focuses on classical music, jazz, and cultural programming.

• BBC Radio 4 targets a more mature audience of 55 years and older, focusing on news, current affairs, drama, and cultural programming. Despite this, it still offers a diverse range of content that can appeal to a broader age range.
• BBC Radio 5 Live targets a slightly younger audience of 25-54-year-olds, with a focus on sports coverage, news, and current affairs. It is known for its live coverage of major sporting events and its engaging presenters

1. This range reflects the diversity of the UK as they target all age groups in different ways.
2. The BBC REMIT is to provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them. 
3. The license fee for a year is £169.50
4. BBC RADIO 4 broadcasts news, current affair, drama and cultural programming
5. The BBC RADIO 4 target audience is 55 years +
6. A local community radio station could be Coast FM
7. Heart, Absolute Radio 80s
8. An example of a digital only radio station is BBC radio 6
9. OFCOM regulate radio in the UK

6/12/24

Radio & Audiences

L/O: To explore the content and structure of the unit.

Do Now

1. A public service broadcaster is a radio and television broadcaster that is independent of government financed by public money and is seen to offer a public service by catering for a range of tastes.
2. Commercial radio is funded by adverts
3. BBC Radio 4 broadcasts news, current affairs and drama. /Mixed speech and spoken word
4. OFCOM regulate radio in the UK
5. The development of music apps have affected the popularity of radio. Technical convergence

Why DAB Radio?

• Digital radio is widely used due to better quality sound and wider access to more stations.
• Digital technology allows media organisations to offer audiences many ways to experience a programme in addition to listening on a radio:
• Streaming live
• Listening again via a catch-up service
• Downloading a podcast
• Accessing content on social media platforms e.g YouTube
• All this content across a range of platforms offers audiences the opportunity to choose where and when they listen to the radio.

Podcasts

• Podcasts are now regularly produced by radio broadcasters, offering the chance to download a programme.
• Many offer additional content or edited highlights from the original programme.
• Increasingly, podcasts are produced independently of a radio broadcaster: these include drama series, comedies and factual shows.

2023 RAJAR Statistics

• 88% of the UK's adult population, or 49.5 million people, listened to the radio each week.
• Commercial radio's share of listening was 54.1% up from 50.9% in 2022.
• 17% of total listening was on smart speakers, a 22% increase from the previous year.
• Total combined digital listening is now 72% of all radio listening. This is predominantly DAB which is 42.7% and online which is 25.6%.
• Some BBC radio stations saw a decline in listeners, including:
• BBC Radio 1: Down 6% from 7.7m to 7.3m
• BBC Radio 3: Down from 2m to 1.8m
• BBC Radio 4: Down slightly from 9.3m to 9.1m
• BBC Radio 5 Live: Down slightly from 5.5m to 5.25m
• BBC Radio 6 Music: Down from 2.75m to 2.5m

Audience Appeals

• Radio fulfils a range of Uses & Gratifications for audiences:
• Personal identity - Companionship, may relate to different presenters and DJs, and background sound
• Information - The news and current affairs provide listeners with awareness on knowledge of the world
• Entertainment - The playing of music is a form of escapism for audiences, as well as the radio dramas and the personality DJs

The Archers

L/O: To explore the context and production of a radio drama.

What is The Archers?

• The Archers is the world's longest running radio soap opera.
• Broadcast since 1951, it was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as a "contemporary drama in a rural setting"
• One of the original intentions of this programme was to communicate information about modern farming methods to increase food production, as food was still being rationed after WW2.
• Today, it is very carefully researched and is informative about many issues to do with farming, rural issues and wider contemporary social issues.
• It is slow moving, subtle and gentle.
• It is set in the fictional village of Ambleside
• Storylines are sometimes serious - e.g rape in marriage, racism, drug addiction, family breakups
• More commonly, stories focus on the daily rural life - e.g caring for animals, marmalade making competitions, harvesting crops

Soap Opera Conventions

• Dramatic
• Set in specific locations where the characters come together (pubs, cafe, workplaces etc)
• Cliffhanger at the end of each episodes
• Multi-strand narratives to reflect real life
• Ensemble cast
• Dialogue centred - drama arises out of conflict between characters
• Target audience are females, so often feature strong female characters or matriarchs
• Stories focused on family/work/relationships
• Designed for regular listening/watching
• Ongoing stories to keep viewers hooked

How can you listen to the Archers?

• Spotify
• BBC Radio 4
• Download the podcast
• BBC iPlayer 
• Short running time - 13 minutes
• Broadcast on the radio in regular time slots - 7pm every day except Saturday, repeated at 2pm the following day.
• Weekly omnibus every Sunday morning
• Also available online on-demand for 30 days after broadcast
• Weekly podcast of the omnibus available to download
• Available on BBC Sounds app internationally

How do the listening options offer flexibility to a wider target audience?

The way in which the programme is broadcast on the radio in regular time slots means that listeners know exactly when they can listen to it, however if they do miss it then there is an option to listen to the rerun on the following day. Furthermore, as there is a weekly omnibus broadcast of the show, this offers audiences that do not have a lot of time in the week to tune in and listen to all that they have missed. The option to stream it on demand for 30 days after the broadcast also offers flexibility as it means that if you have missed the 2 broadcasts of an episode then you can listen to it when you have the time, not at a specific set one. 

10/12/24

Set Episode 

L/O: To explore a specific episode of the set text and the target audience.

Do Now

1. The Archers was first broadcast in 1951.
2. The Archers is broadcasted on BBC Radio 4
3. Two soap opera conventions: ensemble cast, melodramatic 
4. The Archers is broadcast on the radio every day except Saturday.
5. The BBC's Remit is to inform, educate and entertain.

• The Archers is aired on BBC Radio 4, the BBC's main spoken word channel.
• This means it is funded by the license fee.
• Although one original function of the show was to educate farmers (linking the the BBC's public service remit), it soon gained a large audience and a source of entertainment for a wider audience not just people from the rural communities.
• However, the show still prides itself on the quality of its research and its ability to portray real rural life.
• The Archers has approximately 5 million listeners - plus 1 million online. 
• Historically, radio soaps have always focused primarily on women's lives, particularly family relationships, domesticity and marriage. Therefore, the target audience was traditionally females who looked after the home
• Target audience are adult and older British women.

The Archers is a radio soap opera broadcasted on BBC Radio 4, and is the longest-running in the UK (since 1951) , and consists of short, 13 minute episodes. It is broadcast every day at 7pm except on Saturdays, and has a rerun on the following day at 2pm; it can also be accessed on-demand after the airing of an episode, or can be listened to all at once on the Sunday omnibus. The Archers is set in the fictional, rural village of Ambleside, where it tackles many issues to do with farming, rural issues and wider contemporary social issues. More commonly, stories focus on the daily rural life - e.g caring for animals, marmalade making competitions, harvesting crops, general activities to do with farming.  One of the original intentions of this programme was to communicate information about modern farming methods to increase food production, as food was still being rationed after WW2, and was generally aimed at women due to the societal expectations of women to be housewives and stay at home. 

Production of The Archers

• The programme is produced at the BBC Studios in Birmingham.
• The producers consult specialist advisors when developing storylines.
• Different scenes are recorded in different areas to ensure that the sounds match the scenes.
• The authenticity of the Ambridge world is very important - from the sound of walking right down to which birdsong you'd hear at different times of the year.
• There is usually one big storyline going on all the time, and smaller domestic ones running alongside.
• Family feuds, violent relationships and affairs co-exist with cake baking and the Village Show.

Episode Task

• Storylines -
• A Village Show
• Gavin was in prison
• Kirsty and Gavin were together
• Explosion at the gable
• Gavin was in hospital since he got out of prison
• Gangs
• Homelessness
• Modern day slavery
• Main characters -
• Joy
•  Mick
• Gavin
•  Kirsty
• Alan
• Linda
• Philip
• Emma
• Blake
• Jordan
• Kenzie
• Genre conventions -
• Ensemble cast
• Multi-strand storyline
• Dialogue centred
• Comedic elements
• Audience appeal - 
• Many different accents 
• Social and cultural contexts - 
• Church - christianity

Demographics 

• Female (76%)
• 55+ (62%)
• ABC1 (middle - upper class)
• White British (81%)
• Right-wing (e.g votes Conservative)
• High 'disposable income'
• Midlands location

But, the producers of the show want to tackle secondary audience segments such as: young people, audiences from abroad, city dwellers, multiple races, ethnicities, religions, sexualities classes etc.

20/12/24

Do Now

1. The Archers has approximately 6 million listeners
2. The target audience for The Archers is female, 55+, possibly farmer
3. The Archers is broadcast on the radio every day at 7pm except Sundays when there is an omnibus
4. Gender, age and ethnicity comes under demographics
5. The BBC's remit is to educate, entertain and inform.

What other ways are there for fans to engage with 'The Archers'?

• Interacting via Twitter and Facebook as there is an official Archers page - increases audience enjoyment of the show and make it more accessible and helps them to keep up to date
• Browse the page on the BBC website - there are quizzes, games and general information
• Listen to podcasts about the latest episodes
• Watch clips about the production of it
• Narrative guides

The Archers as a Brand

• The Archers is big business for the BBC as it is the most listened to BBC programme online
• In today's society, market share and brand identity are massively important and The Archers succeed on both of these
• If the BBC was ever to lose its license fee, there are certain shows that it is guaranteed people would pay to subscribe to - The Archers is one of these.
• Therefore, it is important that the producers keep the show fresh. One way of doing this is by introducing new characters or pushing the boundaries on plot lines. 

The BBC has opened the gates to less talked about topics and issues in recent years.

• Domestic abuse, modern day slavery, fraud, mental illness, female vicars and gay marriage to name a few.
• The most recent was the domestic abuse storyline of Rob and Helen and her trial following his death.
• The storyline was developed over two and a half years and focused on Rob's emotional and physical abuse of Helen. The storyline climaxed with Helen stabbing Rob in front of their son.
• The storyline was praised by domestic violence charities and encouraged many victims to seek help. Some listeners criticised the storyline for being melodramatic.
• The listeners' privileged position of being able to eavesdrop in on the characters' private conversation has added a real touch to the storyline. Audiences witnessed first-hand Rob's controlling nature, his coercive behaviour and listened whilst he has progressively isolated her from her friends and family
• The realistic portrayal of this storyline has even prompted audiences to raise over 100,000 pounds for charity, and the strong relationship the show has formed with its audience.

#FREEHELEN

• Listeners followed the trial and storyline avidly - with social media engagement rocketing 
• Thousands of comments: the not guilty verdict in Helen's trial led to thousands of comments on social media, with the show trending on Twitter for hours. 
• National debate: the trial sparked a national debate about domestic violence
• Donations to charity: listeners donated to the Helen Titchener fund, a JustGiving page set up by a fan, which raised over £92,000 for Refuge, a domestic violence charity.
• Social media hashtag: the trial spawned the social media hashtag #Freehelen
• Feminist perspective: VAW activists participated in the discussion , offering real cases of domestic violence 

• For many of these listeners, The Archers was a familiar friend which provided a comforting background and, until fairly recently, there was an unwritten rule that nothing too terrible would ever happen.
• However, in recent years some audiences have complained that The Archers is beginning to mimic the excesses of TV soaps.
• That being said, such a move has attracted new listeners which are welcomed by the broadcasters and there is an argument that such shows should reflect the society in which they are aired.
• Because the BBC can be accessed from around the world, it is important to understand that some of the online audience is global, including British people living abroad.
• Listening to The Archers is a crucial way for them to keep in touch with British life. In fact, even within the UK, some listeners from urban areas have stated how they like the sense of rural life
• Perhaps, like many, they dream of getting away from the city and moving to the country and The Archers helps them imagine this for a short time.

U&G Applications

• Personal identity: people in rural areas/farmers may relate to the experiences of the farmers or activities of living in a small town, or general audiences may relate to characters in the show.
• Information: one might gain information on serious topics in the show or farming, or be educated on rural life
• Entertainment: the show provides a sense of escapism for listeners, being set in a quiet rural town, and they can almost live through the characters in their minds, and also gain some entertainment from the storylines.
• Social interaction: audiences can interact through social media platforms, such as discuss the newest storylines and characters.